Book signature feed



Filed July 26, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet l M man now Dec. 24, 1935.. Q SCHRAMM 2,025,527

BOOK SIGNATURE FEED Filed July 26, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 24, 1935. Q SCHRAMM 2,025,527 I BOOK 5 IGNATURE FEED Filed July 26, 1.934 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 D 24; 1935. c. SCHFZAMM 2,@25,527

BOOK SIGNATURE FEED Filed July 26, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 24, 1935. c SCHRAMM Z,@25,527

BOOK S IGNATURE FEED Filed July 26, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Dec. 24,

PATENT OFFICE BOOK SIGNATURE FEED Carl Schramm, North Coventry, Conn, assignor to The Smyth Manufacturing Company, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application July 26, 1934, Serial No. 737,049

14 Claims. (01. 27055) This invention relates to means for removing foldedsheets of paper one at a time from a stack and depositing them upon the feed saddle of a book, magazine or pamphlet stitching or stapling machine, or upon the conveyor of a sheet gathering machine.

Theobject of the invention is the provision of simple and reliable means which will rapidly remove from-a pile folded sheets of paper and accurately deposit them upon a feed saddle or conveyor, and thereby permit an increase in the speed of the sewing, stapling or gathering machine to which it is applied and with which its movements are synchronized.

The invention being adapted to feed folded sheets that are to be gathered to form signatures, and being particularly serviceable for feeding complete signatures to thread stitching machines and to wire stapling machines, for convenience the folded sheets are herein termed signatures, and the means, whether fixed or movable, angular or flat, to which the folded sheets are fed is termed a-saddle.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated the signatures are piled one upon-another on a table between upright stack guides. The folded edge of the lowest signature is drawn down by suction means, and means inserted between it and the edge of the next signature above for supporting the pile while the lowest signature is drawn out. The edge that is drawn down is grasped by fingers on a continuously rotating cylinder and the pull of the suction cups is then released. The cylinder carries the signature around until the folded edge is engaged with clips, at which time the grasp of the cylinder fingers is released and the signature freed from the cylinder. With the folded edge of the signature gripped by the clips suction means are swung up and in against the outer leaves and then down and out so as to draw the signature down from the clipsand pull it open. When the signature is sufficiently opened the opening suction means release the signature and allow it to drop in an opened condition upon the saddle. Means at this time move against the folded edge and position the signature on the saddle. The mechanisms are actuated from moving parts of the machine with which the feed is associated so that the signatures will be delivered to the stitching or stapling means at the correct intervals.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 shows a general side elevation of the feed mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation.

Fig. 3 is a top 'view.

Fig. 4 shows the suction means about .to draw down the folded edge of the lowest signature of a stack.

Fig. 5 shows the lowest signature drawn down to the cylinder and the supporting means moved 5 in and elevated for retaining the signatures above.

Fig. 6 shows the folded edge of the signature about to be grasped by the cylinder fingers.

Fig. 7 shows the edge of the signature carried by the cylinder around into engagement with the retaining clips.

Fig. 8 shows the signature released from the grasp of the cylinder fingers and left in the grip of the clips.

Fig. 9 shows the mechanism for swinging up and in and down and out the suction means which draws the signature down from the clips and then opens and drops it on the saddle.

Fig. 10 is a section on the plane indicated by the dotted line Ill-l0 on Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 shows the mechanism for pressing the folded edge of the signature on the saddle after it has been dropped.

Fig. 12 and Fig. 12A show sections of the valves that control the suction timing;

Fig. 13 on reduced scale diagrammatically indicates a gathering saddle and conveyor with signatures thereon.

Fig. 14 is a section of the gathering saddle and conveyor.

The apparatus illustrated has a table 1 upon which the signatures'z are stacked. The table is mounted on a carriage 3 that is vertically movable on the front of a frame 4 which is attached to standards 5 that are fixed to and extend up from a base 6 which is designedto be secured to a part of the machine to which the apparatus is to feed signatures. Stack guides l extend up from the table, being so supported that they may 40 be adjusted horizontally in order to fit signatures of different widths and lengths. A screw 8 connects the carriage with the frame for .the purpose of adjusting the carriage and table up or down according to the width of the signatures to be fed. The frame is preferably hinged to the standards by the arbor ti so that upon loosening bolts I0, the frame and what it carries may be turnedback'out of the way, as indicated by dotted lines on Fig. 1, if it is desired to discontinue the automatic feed and to feed signatures by hand.

The means shown for drawing down the folded edge of the lowest signature comprises a plurality of suction cups H at the ends of arms 12 which are fastened to a shaft [3. This shaft is carried by levers l4 pivoted to the sides of the carriage. The lever on one side has a roll which engages a cam groove l5 in the inner face of the disk l6 that is rotatably mounted on a fixed shaft ll. This cam, through the connections mentioned, causes the cups to swing up against the lowest signature (Fig. 4) and then pull the folded edge down against the surface of the cylinder disks l8 (Fig. .5). The suction cups are connected by flexible tubes IS with a valve 20 in a casing 2| that is in communication with an exhaust pump 22 (Figs. 2 and 12) The valve opens communication from this pump to these suction cups as the cups swing up and engage the lowest signature, and close communication so as to release the suction after the cups have pulled the folded edge of the signature down onto the periphery of the cylinder disks.

As the suction cups draw the edge of the lowest signature down, means, preferably fingers 23, swing in between the downdrawn edge of the lowest signature and the signature next above and then rise so as to lift the signatures above and hold the pile while the lowest signature is being drawn out, Figs. 4, 5. These fingers extend from arms 24 projecting from a shaft 25 that is supported by rocker arms 26 which extend from a shaft 21 that is rotatably supported by the side walls of thecarriage. At one end the shaft 25 has a rocker arm 28 that engages a cam 29 on the edge of the disk l6. The cam 29 and connections impart a rotary movement to the shaft 25. At one end the shaft 2'! has a rocker arm 30 that engages a cam groove 3| in the outer face of the disk H5. The cam 3| and connections give the shaft 25 an oscillatory movement. These cams are timed to cause the fingers 23 to first swing from the position shown in Fig. 4, in between the signatures and then rise to lift the signatures, as shown in Fig. 5, and afterward to swing down and out.

The cylinder disks l8 against which the suetion cups draw the folded edge of the lowest signature are spaced apart, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and are rotatably mounted on the fixed shaft l1.

Fingers 32 are pivotally mounted in openings in the peripheries of the cylinder disks so at the proper times to open for receiving and then closing for grasping the folded edge of the signature and drawing it from the stack. The fingers are closed by the pull of springs 33, Fig. '7, and are opened as the disks revolve by engagement with cams 34, Fig. 6, that are fixed to the shaft l1 between the cylinder disks. As these fingers close upon the folded edge of the signature the pull of the suction cups II is released. Fasten'ed to the side of each cylinder disk I6 is a gear 35 that is engaged by a pinion 35 on a shaft 3?, Figs. 2, 3. On its outer end the shaft 3'! has a pinion 38 which meshes with a gear 33 that turns the cam disk l6, and which also meshes with a gear 43. The gear 49 is engaged by a pinion 4| attached to a bevel gear 42 that is driven by bevel gear 43. The gear 43 is splined on vertical shaft 44 on the lower end of which is a bevel pinion 45 engaged by a bevel gear 46 on shaft 4? which may be rotated from some convenient part of the machine to which the apparatus is applied, Fig. 1. The shaft 44 is slidable through the gear 43 to permit the frame 4 and carriage 3 to be tipped are composed of spring fingers 48 which extend from blocks 49 that are fixed to a rock shaft 50 which is supported by the carriage. This shaft on its outer end has a rocker arm 5| that is held by a spring 52 in engagement with a cam 53 on the edge of the cam disk l6, Fig. 8. The spring 52 causes the clip fingers to close against stripping fingers 54 and the cam 53 acts to open the clip fingers from the stripping fingers. As the edge of the signature is grasped by these clips the cylinder fingers release their grip.

As a signature is caught by the retaining clips, suction means, shown as composed of a plurality of cups 55, are swung up and in from opposite sides so that the cups will contact with the outer pages on both sides of the signature, Fig. 1. These cups are mounted on the ends of arms 56 that are attached to rock shafts 5! which are supported by yokes 58 at the upper ends of angle levers 59, Fig. 2. The lower ends of the levers 59 are provided with intermeshing segments 60. One of the levers 59 has an extension 6| that is engaged witha cam groove 62 in the inner face of a disk 63 on the shaft 41. The shafts 51 have rocker arms 64 that are connected by links 65 with levers 66 provided with intermeshing segments 61, the axes of these levers and segments being coincident with the axes of the adjacent levers 59 and segments 60. One of the levers 66 has an extension 68 that is engaged with a cam groove 69 in the outer face of the disk 63 on the shaft 41, Figs. 8 and 9. These means cause the shafts 51' and arms 56 to rock and swing and carry the suction cups 55 into engagement with the closed signature, Fig. 1, and then draw down and open the signature, Fig. 9.

Preferably the shafts 51 are tubular and connected by tubes 1|! with the cups, and by tubes 1| with a valve 72 in the casing 2| that is connected with an exhaust pump 13, Figs. 2 and 12. The pump 22 and valve 25 control the suction which pulls a signature from the stack and the pump 13 and valve 12 control the suction which draws down and opens the signature. Both valves are in the same casing 2| and they are rotated by bevel gears 84 from shaft 47, Fig. 2.

As the cups swing in against a signature the valve i2 opens so that suction pull will be exerted on the leaves. When the signatures are sumciently opened the valve 12 shuts off the suction pull of these cups 55 and the signature drops upon the saddle 14, Fig. 11. As the signature drops leveler fingers l5 swing down and press the folded edge upon the saddle and then swing up out of the way. The leveler fingers project from an arm 16 that is pivoted to the upper end of an angle lever 11 which is pivotally mounted on the arbor 9. The lower end of this lever is connected by a link 18 with one end of an angle lever l9, the other end of which angle lever engages a cam 38 on the edge of the cam disk 63. The arm 16 has a rearwardly extending lug 8| that engages a fixed cam 82. A spring 83 tends to pull the leveler fingers down and when the cam 85 oscillates the connections the lug 8|.engages the fixed cam 82 and causes the fingers to swing up as indicated by dotted lines on Fig. 11.

Signatures delivered to a fixed saddle or to a movable conveyor are then carried by the usual mechanisms into the machine which is to stitch, staple or otherwise unite them. If desired a number of these feeding means can be arranged adjacent to a saddle 85 provided with a conveyor 86 and these may be adjusted to deposit one sheet 8? upon another in succession as the conveyor ad- 75 vances and thusbuild up sections or signatures as indicated by Fig. 13.

The invention claimed is:

1. Apparatus for feeding book signatures which comprises, a support for a pile of signatures, means which draws down the folded edge of the bottom signature, a rotatable cylinder with means which grasps the drawn down edge and pulls the signature from beneath the pile and'car-r-ies it into a substantially vertical position, means which grips the folded edge and separates the signature from the cylinder and retains it vertical, and oscillatory suction means which moves against the sides of the signature and draws it from said gripping'meansand opens and drops it upon a support.

2. Apparatus for feeding book signatures which comprises, a support for a pile of signatures, means which draws down the folded edge of the bottom signature, a rotatable cylinder with means which grasps the drawn down edge and pulls the signature from beneath the pile and carries it into a substantially vertical position, means which grips the folded edge and separates the signature from the cylinder and retains it vertical, and oscillatory suction cups which move against the sides of the signature and draw it from said gripping means and open and drop it upon a support.

3. Apparatus for feeding book signatures which comprises, a support for a pile of signatures, means which draws down the folded edge of the bottom signature, a rotatable cylinder with means which grasps the drawn down edge and pulls the signature from beneath the pile and carries it into a substantially vertical position, means which grips the folded edge and separates the signature from the cylinder and retains it vertical, oscillatory suction means which moves against the sides of the signature and draws it from said gripping means and opens and drops it upon a support, and means which engages and presses the folded edge of the dropped signature down upon said support.

4. Apparatus for feeding book signatures which comprises, a support for a pile of signatures, means which draws down the folded edge of the bottom signature, a rotatable cylinder with means which grasps the drawn down edge and pulls the signature from beneath the pile and carries it into a substantially vertical position, means which grips the folded edge and separates the signature from the cylinder and retains it vertical, oscillatory suction means which moves against the sides of the signature and draws it from said gripping means and opens and drops itupon a support, and oscillatory fingers which engage and press the folded edge of the dropped signature down upon said support.

5. Apparatus for feeding book signatures which comprises, a support for a pile of signatures, means which draws down the folded edge of the bottom signature, a rotatable cylinder with means which grasps the drawn down edge and pulls the signature from beneath the pile and carries it into a substantially vertical position, means which grips the folded edge and separates the signature from the cylinder and retains it vertical, oscillatory suction cups which move against the sides of the signature and draw it from said gripping means and open and drop it upon a support, and oscillatory fingers which engage and press the folded edge of the dropped signature down upon said support.

6. Apparatus for feeding book signatures which comprises, a support for a pile of signatures,

means which draws .down the folded edge of the bottom signature, a' rotatable cylinder with means which grasps the drawn down edge and pulls the signature from beneath the pile and carries it into a substantially vertical position, 5 fingers which separate the signature from the cylinder and grip and retain it vertical, and oscillatory suction means which moves against the sides of the signature and draws it from said gripping fingers and opens and drops it upon a support.

'7. Apparatus for feeding book signatures which comprises, asupport for a pile of thesignatures, means which draws down the folded edge of the bottom signature, a rotatable cylinder with means which grasps the drawn down edge and pulls the signature from beneath the pile and carries it into a substantially vertical position, fingers which separate the signature from the cylinder and grasp and retain it vertical, and oscillatory suction cups which move against the sides of the signature and draw it from said gripping fingers and open and drop it upon a support.

8. Apparatus for feeding book signatures which comprises, a support for a pile of the signatures, means which draws down the folded edge of the bottom signature of the pile, a rotatable cylinder with means which grasps the drawn down edge and pulls the signatures from beneath the pile and carries it into a substantially vertical position, fingers which separate the signature from the cylinder and grip and retain it substantially vertical, oscillatory suction cups which swing against the sides of the signature and draw it from said fingers and open and drop it upon a support, and oscillatory fingers which engage and press the folded edge of thedropped signature upon said support.

9. Apparatus for feeding book signatures which comprises, a support for a pile of signatures, ro- 40 tatable means which grasps the folded edge of and withdraws the bottom signature of the pile and carries it into a substantially vertical position, and oscillatory suction means which swings against the sides of the signature and draws it down from said vertical position and opens and drops it upon a support.

10. Apparatus for feeding book signatures which comprises, a support for a pile of signatures, rotatable means which grasps the folded edge of and withdraws the bottom signature of the pile and carries it into a substantially vertical position, oscillatory suction means which swings against the sides of the signature and draws it from said grasping means and opens and drops it upon a support, and oscillatory fingers which engage and press the folded edge of the dropped signature down upon said support.

11. Apparatus for feeding book signatures which comprises, a support for a pile of signatures, continuously rotating means which grasps the folded edge of and withdraws the bottom signature from beneath the pile, means which grips the folded edge and separates the signature from said withdrawing means, oscillatory suction cups which swing against the sides of the signature and draw it from said gripping means and open and drop it upon a support, and means which engages and presses the folded edge of the dropped signature down upon said support.

12. Apparatus for feeding book signatures which comprises, a support for a pile of signatures, continuously rotating means which grasps the folded edge of and withdraws the bottom signature from beneath the pile, means which grips the folded edge and separates the signature from the withdrawing means, and oscillatory cups which swing against the sides of the signature and draw it from said gripping means and open and drop it upon a support.

13. Apparatus for feeding book signatures which comprises a support for a pile of signatures, continuously rotating cylinders provided with means which grasp the folded edge of and as the cylinder revolves withdraws the bottom signature from beneath the pile and carries it to a substantially vertical position, suction cups carried by arms pivotally mounted on oscillatory levers, and mechanism for oscillating said levers and rocking said arms, and thereby causing said cups to swing against each side of the signature retained in such position, carry the signature down, open its leaves and drop it upon a support.

14. Apparatus for feeding book signatures which comprises a support for a pile of signatures, continuously rotating means which grasps the folded edge of and withdraws the bottom signature from beneath the pile, pivotally mounted arms provided with suction cups, and mechanisms adapted to oscillate and rock said arms, and cause the suction cups to swing against the sides of the signature withdrawn from the pile by said continuously rotating means and then carry it down and open and drop it upon a support.

CARL SCHRAMM. 

